Skepticism from a Godless Conservative

Strangling Voices of Reason

Does anyone else find it curious that in the world of atheists and skeptics that one minute you’re sitting on top of the world and in an instant, by just having the temerity to disagree with some “sacred” precept; you’re suddenly persona-non-grata.

You probably think I’m referring to Dawkins, Shermer, Harris, Grothe, and maybe some other very prominent names. Not really. Not that the aforementioned are not constantly scrutinized for every syllable they utter, but it seems to happen as much to less well known people too. Not less important, just not “household” names that everyone knows and quotes constantly.

.@SexyIsntSexist I'm also a vocal woman on the internet. The abuse I rec'd was at the hands of the #FTBullies after I voiced disagreement

I’ve always considered EllenBeth Wachs an important voice, even when I vehemently disagreed with positions she had taken in the past. I used to see many people on the Internet try to disabuse her of her support for The Usual Suspects to no avail, to the point of being warned by some of just what she tweeted above. I don’t think she ever believed that she would be treated the way she was at that time.

I think we’ll continue to see more and more of this in the future. Hell, even a nobody like me had his tweets , from over 2 years ago, immortalized in some dumb “art presentation” in Los Angeles. I wonder if those tweets were saved from when I originally tweeted or were searched for all over “Twitterdom” to find examples of “sexism” and “misogyny”.

I know all this cliquish behavior happens outside of skepticism and atheism as well, but it’s more noticeable here because we’re a smaller group overall.

I hope that real voices are reason will refuse to be strangled by others who won’t countenance slight disagreement or have an independent opinion. I won’t. I don’t believe EllenBeth will either.